Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Rob Watson Resigning Ahead of New Board Elections

Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Rob Watson is resigning his position as the head of Missoula area public schools effective June 30th, 2022. Watson’s resignation was announced in a letter emailed to MCPS families today.

The email stated that the MCPS Board of Trustees would be discussing the selection of a new superintendent at their next meeting, Tuesday, February 22nd.

According to the letter, Superintendent Watson is leaving his post to take a position with the School Administrators of Montana association, an advocacy group and professional development resource for Montana’s school superintendents and administrators. The association provides bureaucratic guidance to school admins.

Throughout 2021, Superintendent Watson maintained an antagonistic relationship with parents of Missoula County Public School students dismissing impassioned and informed pleas from Missoula parents at school board meetings to move away from forced-masking policies for students and staff.

Some area parents are concerned that the current board will move to find a replacement before the new board is elected in May.

“The new board should choose the superintendent,” one parent Mrs. Erin D. said. “Candidates should be there and insist on it. [Parents] should write letters.”

MCPS School Board member Mike Gehl said that Watson’s departure provides an opportunity for the school board to choose a “new direction for the future” of Missoula County Public Schools.

“As Rob Watson moves onto a new chapter in his life, this affords the board of MCPS to think of the districts own future and direction,” Mr. Gehl said. “This now gives the board an opportunity to select a new superintendent and maybe a new direction for the future.”

Mr. Gehl announced his candidacy for MCPS School Board District C at the end of January.

Letter:

Dear MCPS families:

Today Superintendent Dr. Rob Watson is announcing that he will be leaving his position with MCPS effective June 30, 2022.

Dr. Watson would like to express his deepest gratitude for the opportunity to serve as superintendent of MCPS for the past three years:

“My time with MCPS, including my former time as a principal, has been some of the most rewarding of my 29 years in public education. I will leave with many happy memories and proud to have served with each of you. While I have learned many important lessons during this pandemic, my most treasured memory will be how we all worked together to keep our kids learning. I have witnessed an incredible amount of empathy, compassion and grace.”

While he will no longer be with MCPS, Dr. Watson will maintain his connection to education in the state as the new executive director of the School Administrators of Montana (SAM). The SAM organization represents more than 1,000 active members and has a 50-year history of advocating for public education in Montana.

“From now until the end of the school year, I remain committed to our work,” Dr. Watson says. “I am looking forward to wrapping up a great school year and establishing our plans for next year. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your superintendent.”

The MCPS Board of Trustees will be discussing the succession plan for the Superintendent position at their next meeting on February 22.

Missoula County Public Schools